Wednesday, March 11, 2009

If you live in the Sacramento area, check out this plant sale where Mad Man Bamboo will be at (yes, a shameless plug) and The Golden Gecko Nursery (owned and operated by fellow garden blogger, Trey Pitensberger). Here is the excerpt from the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club's Newsletter:

The March meeting will be replaced with this special event. Amber Tippett from Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply in Grass Valley will be the featured speaker (at noon) about “Growing Organic…For Life.” Some of the nurseries participating in the sale have web sites; go online and see the variety of plants that will be available. This is a great opportunity for you to visit many wonderful specialty nurseries in one location and not have to spend your money on gas.

In this time of financial hardship, it is important that we support these small businesses. They are the people who are propagating and selling the rich variety of plants that we have come to love and can not find at the big box stores. Without the small independent nurseries, the look of our gardens will change forever. Many of the plants sell for $5.00 - $10.00 so come support the nurseries and buy one or two special plants to add to your spring planting. Tell your neighbors and friends about the sale, and we hope to see you there.

On this date a grand selection of both new and favorite vendors will arrive with their specialties from the outlaying areas to provide a wonderful collection of plants and gardenrelated art. To name just a few Vendors and what they will be bringing: Back again--Morningsun Herb Farm, Vacaville, herbs galore; Golden Pond, Loomis, aquatic plants & miniature water gardens; Canyon Creek Nursery, Oroville, shrubs, perennials and annuals; Native Springs Nursery, Oroville, Mediterranean and California native plant; Glen Rowley from Magalia and his original handmade birdhouses; Monte Cristo Farm, Placerville, Azaleas and Rhododendrons; Golden Gecko Nursery, Garden Valley and Bob Tadlock, Garden Valley,with shrubs and perennials; Mad Man Bamboo, Rocklin, and Friends of San Juan de Oreinte, Sacramento, pottery.

Most of the Vendors are donating something special for our Raffle. Last year, both Golden Pond and Morningsun Herb Farm created wonderful large pots of outstanding plants.There were many other terrific items as well. The raffle will be held at 10 AM, 11 AM and 1:30 PM. Participants must be present to win. The proceeds from this event help to fundour work supporting community gardens and local horticulture projects.

Bring your garden related questions to the Master Gardeners’ table. They will be there to help you with a plant, soil or bug related problem.

Our perennial plant club will be selling used garden related books and magazines. If you have any to donate please bring them either to the Center on Friday, late-afternoon, or earlySaturday morning, the day of the sale. We also need you look in your garden for what is blooming and bring in a sample (just one bloom or branch) of the plant and label it. We willhave a display table.

For those of you unable to volunteer your time for club events, there is a very important way that you could still help out the club and yourself: Drop by and support the event! It isfun and informative, and provides a chance to buy plants that are unusual, extra healthy and the grower is present to answer your questions. This is an important contribution that youwill be making!"

Trey showed me the creek behind his nursery (amazed how the latest storms made a big impact) and told me about the German photographer who made a trip to Trey's neck of the woods to photograph ladybug sanctuaries. Trey has some really cool photos on his blog of the ladybugs he saw. Really amazing.

Got home and my daughter and I drilled holes in the wine barrels, planted the brussel sprouts and chard in one barrel, cut the potato starts in two to get ready for planting this weekend and have the other two barrels ready for planting this weekend.

Once we get the other two barrels planted, I will be getting a horse trough ready (formerly filled with Black Bamboo) for planting tomatoes and basil. Also, the blueberries are doing well in the other wine barrel we bought from Trey a couple of months ago. They will be ready for picking, mid-summer.

Good times.... temperatures are heading into the 70's this weekend, looking forward to getting out in the garden.

Bamboo prints and posters by Nate Abbott

About my bamboo nursery.....

I own a small, part-time bamboo nursery in Rocklin, CA, about 15 minutes east of Sacramento, CA. I have 120 varieties of bamboo in my personal collection most of which are for sale. I attend plant sales and farmers markets throughout the Sacramento area. Our event schedule is posted at www.madmanbamboo.com. I'm happy to answer questions regarding bamboo. Hopefully you'll enjoy this site!